Pat Petrillo here!

Hi Pat,


Thank YOU for the great feedback.

This whole transcription thing really is a labor of love for me. I have been doing it for a long time.

I learn so much from every one that I do. I also like to adapt things into my own personal style.

You are a great player and a great educator. I hope I can meet up with you someday.


If you ever come through Chicago let me know!



Terry
 
Josh

I will be doing a "Day of Percussion" clinic at Scotch Plains High School in February. Check my page on MySpace for details !...

Pat

I'm so there! Scotch Plains is about 25 minutes away.

Will be contacting you soon for possible lessons in 2008. I gotta stop procrastinating!!
 
I'm so there! Scotch Plains is about 25 minutes away.

Will be contacting you soon for possible lessons in 2008. I gotta stop procrastinating!!

COOl, Trip! Please come up and say hi. It will be at Scotch Plains High School. PM me about lessons soon, as my schedule is pretty full. Fridays are best in Sayreville.

All the Best!
 
Re: Hands, Grooves and Fills review

My review of Pat's DVD/Workbook ... Hands, Grooves & Fills. Congratulations Pat on a fine product!

it's awesome, right? :)

I have the set as well and it's really easy to follow and the rudiment TAB system, which is really new to me, but I'm sure with practice will be easy to remember. The DVD compliments the workbook really well. I also love the play-along mp3's on the CD that Pat includes in the workbook!

Dom
 
Hi, Bart & Dom

Thanks again, and I'm glad I could contribute something to help other drummers enjoy drumming!

Dom, see you soon!

Pat
 
I recently downsized to a four piece setup - one rack tom, one floor tom - and I'm lovin' it. More comfortable setup, easier to transport, less drums to tune, etc.. My only problem is that I am having some trouble coming up with interesting fills using only two toms. My question is, does Pat's DVD have many fills that are - or can be - orchestrated on a four piece kit ? In his videos I see him playing a 5 piece.
 
I have his book and DVD package, and the fills are all notated for high tom, snare, floor tom and bass drum. I wondered the same thing, as I too have only a four piece.

I haven't made it into the fills section yet.
 
Skinner & Scott

Thanks for the input..

The fills are written simply using snare, rack tom & floor tom. There are many orchestrations you can then do from there, as I demonstrate on the DVD. So, learning them on a 4 piece is perfect!

All the Best!
 
I attended a clinic this past weekend in New Jersey and had the opportunity to see Pat in action! He delivered a fantastic presentation of grooves, fills, and ways to apply rudiments to the drum kit. The audience (as well as I) loved every minute of it.

Pat is a terrific teacher and a wonderful person to get to know. Hopefully he comes to an area near you!

Here's some pictures and video from the event. Not the greatest quality on my lowly Canon SD600 Powershot but it captures the moment good enough,

Pat setting up

img006.jpg


Please welcome Pat Petrillo!!!

img008.jpg


Pat talks about his new practice pad and his background

img010.jpg


His Traps kit for demo showing

img012.jpg





Some video clips

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=28072134

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=28063844

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=28065539

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=28068841



Pat and I :)

img014.jpg
 
Trip

Great to see you at the clinic! It's a pleasure to work with you in lessons! You're a quick study, and this will help you go far.

Keep dribblin' that basketbal!

See you soon!
 
Hey Pat.

I've never really posted/talked to pro drummer before. Last year my friend told me he took lessons with you. Fernando Gomez, (kid with the latin independence from san diego) im class mates with him and very good drumming buddy with him...somewhat competition. He taught me a six stroke roll fill that you taught him...very nice.

By looking at your CD choices and your playing style i see that you have a little gospel influence. Thats what i love about your playings its very groovy. In that POCKET...so groovy that it make you hurt...uh

I'd really wish i could show you some of my videos but i dont wanna waste your time. I see Fernando tommorow so post up if you want me to send him a message.
 
Last edited:
Mr. Petrillo, I just wanted to thank you directly for your amazing DVD/Book package. It has really opened new doors in my playing! Specifically, I felt like I was stuck on specific patterns in my playing, like the same figures kept appearing over and over again - that is, until I discovered your book and DVD! The different grooves have especially helped me get out of the ever-recurring rut I found myself in. Also, I LOVE the fill concepts you present in the fills section, and have been trying to integrate them into my playing. So again, thank you for all the help and encouragement you have provided me! I look forward to devouring any other educational material you might put on the market :)

PS. I almost forgot! I wanted to ask you what kind of heads, resonant and batter, you had on your toms in the DVD?
 
Hello Pat

As many already have done in this thread, I want to congratulate you for “Hands grooves and fills”. I’ve been working with it for a couple of months and I feel it brings a lot to my playing. I spend most of my time in the “Hands” section so far. I must confess that I was a bit skeptical about the Rudiment Tab System at the beginning. It took me a while to try these combos, but once I did, I was hooked right away. I have done a lot of hands work with Stick Control and Master Studies, but I never really practiced rudiments per se. Your various combos are now a big part of my routine. Your super-clean demos of these on the CD constitute a good learning utility and… a stimulating target.

I also like your warm-ups. Simple and efficient. I have a question about the opening text of that section where you mention that every exercise should be maxxed to the fastest tempo possible, until “we feel the burn” … This somehow comes in contradiction with the idea of “always stay relaxed”, “always remain at a comfortable tempo”, etc. that we see in many other textbooks. Do you feel that pushing the limit like you suggest in the warm-ups applies also to the other sections of the book? Was this approach suggested to you by a teacher, or does it come from your personal learning and teaching experiences?

Or, in other words... Do you feel that speed comes from.... pushing the tempo like that ? ... Gaining control at slower tempos ? ... Both ?

Thanks for your time, and thanks as well for that great package.
 
Last edited:
Hey Pat.

I've never really posted/talked to pro drummer before. Last year my friend told me he took lessons with you. Fernando Gomez, (kid with the latin independence from san diego) im class mates with him and very good drumming buddy with him...somewhat competition. He taught me a six stroke roll fill that you taught him...very nice.

By looking at your CD choices and your playing style i see that you have a little gospel influence. Thats what i love about your playings its very groovy. In that POCKET...so groovy that it make you hurt...uh

I'd really wish i could show you some of my videos but i dont wanna waste your time. I see Fernando tommorow so post up if you want me to send him a message.

Yo, Mr Pulse!

Thanks SO much for the kind words, and yes, I love Gospel music (and the message), as well as most ol skool R&B, Rock, and early Steps Ahead, Spyro Gyra, and some other things, like Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan..the list goes on!

Tell my man I said yo!

All the Best

Pat
 
Mr. Petrillo, I just wanted to thank you directly for your amazing DVD/Book package. It has really opened new doors in my playing! Specifically, I felt like I was stuck on specific patterns in my playing, like the same figures kept appearing over and over again - that is, until I discovered your book and DVD! The different grooves have especially helped me get out of the ever-recurring rut I found myself in. Also, I LOVE the fill concepts you present in the fills section, and have been trying to integrate them into my playing. So again, thank you for all the help and encouragement you have provided me! I look forward to devouring any other educational material you might put on the market :)

PS. I almost forgot! I wanted to ask you what kind of heads, resonant and batter, you had on your toms in the DVD?

Hey, Joe (great name for a song : )

Man, thanks very much, and I am so glad you dig "H,G&F". It's for guys like you that I created this package, to open new doors, and show some new ways of phrasing grooves, creating fills, and developing hand coordination

As for the heads, they are Remo Clear Emperors on top and Clear Dips on the bottom.
I usually use Pinstripes or Emperors.

Stay encouraged! Also, please vote for "Hands, Grooves, & Fills" in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll under Method Book!

Thanks

Pat
 
Hello Pat

As many already have done in this thread, I want to congratulate you for “Hands grooves and fills”. I’ve been working with it for a couple of months and I feel it brings a lot to my playing. I spend most of my time in the “Hands” section so far. I must confess that I was a bit skeptical about the Rudiment Tab System at the beginning. It took me a while to try these combos, but once I did, I was hooked right away. I have done a lot of hands work with Stick Control and Master Studies, but I never really practiced rudiments per se. Your various combos are now a big part of my routine. Your super-clean demos of these on the CD constitute a good learning utility and… a stimulating target.

I also like your warm-ups. Simple and efficient. I have a question about the opening text of that section where you mention that every exercise should be maxxed to the fastest tempo possible, until “we feel the burn” … This somehow comes in contradiction with the idea of “always stay relaxed”, “always remain at a comfortable tempo”, etc. that we see in many other textbooks. Do you feel that pushing the limit like you suggest in the warm-ups applies also to the other sections of the book? Was this approach suggested to you by a teacher, or does it come from your personal learning and teaching experiences?

Or, in other words... Do you feel that speed comes from.... pushing the tempo like that ? ... Gaining control at slower tempos ? ... Both ?

Thanks for your time, and thanks as well for that great package.

Shuffle

Thanks SO much, and I'm glad you're getting alot out of "H,G&F"! It's very rewarding to hear so many success stories and satisfied drummers!

The "feel the burn" is the forearm muscles at work when you push up the tempos on exercises like "5,5,3", where you are constantly pushing the rebound and forearms to perpetuate the rebound and get a workout. This is natural, and it means your endurance is developing. It's like getting a good burn when doing light weight lifting with alot of repetitions. You will feel that muscle group fatiguing..and that's what is required to build the chops and endurance. After a while, it will take a longer time to "feel the burn", because the muscle group is conditioned and toned, so it will take a little longer to get going. THIS IS A GOOD THING! That means you are getting in shape!

SO, by using the rebound technique, you are working those muscle groups in the forearm, and getting them toned up...I DO stay relaxed, but sooner or later, you gotta crank up the tempos and hold it there to really develop the technique and endurance..

This way of building chops is an old drum corp method of repetition, increasing speed, holding it, increase speed, hold it...So, it works, and I did it alot over the years. This is how I developed the endurance. When I started playing alot of shows on tours with various artists, this came in handy. When I work out with students in lessons, I push them to their limit of fatigue, and I tell them, if you don't feel this every time you practice, you're not really working out.

This applies to the hands more than the grooves, however, you can apply it to th fills if you want more speed and accuracy

Thanks again, and keep in touch!

All the Best
 
Hey Pat,
I've been a fan since your Snare Drum Rudiments back in the 90's. Thanks for all the great work. I've learned a lot.

MRW
 
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